A variety of different types of boats with dual skis have been developed over the years. Although the skis on these boats generally help to improve the boat's speed, stability and maneuverability, there continues to be room for improvement.
For example, one area for improvement is in the stability of boats with dual skis. In several prior designs, the forward end of each ski has substantially the same size and shape as the rest of the ski and the forward end of each ski terminates at a substantially "blunt" or flat front end. This design for the skis causes several problems. When the skis in these boats are deployed, the front end of these skis have a tendency to submerge and the blunt or flat front end may catch in the water causing the boat to lurch forward. Additionally, once the skis are in the water, the blunt or flat front end of each ski creates unnecessary drag in the water. These problems can be very disconcerting to the boat operator and/or passengers. Some examples of boats with these types of skis are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,408 to Sched, U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,663 to Sched, U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 31,563 to Stout et al of U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,286, U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,780 to Abramson, which are herein incorporated by reference.
Another area for improvement is with the control and maneuverability of the boats with dual skis, particularly at high speeds. In several prior designs, the bottom surface on each ski is substantially flat. The flat bottom surface makes it difficult for the oat operator to accurately control the direction of the boat when the skis are deployed because the skis do not "grip" the water. Accordingly, the boat has a "sloppy" feel when the boat operator tries to change the direction of the boat. Some examples of boats with these types of skis are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,408 to Sched, U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,663 to Sched, U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 31,563 to Stout et al of U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,286, U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,780 to Abramson, which are herein incorporated by reference.